AUBURN, Al. (EETV)- On Aug. 31, the Tigers celebrated their first football victory with a tone-setting 73-3 win over visiting Alabama A&M, but their subsequent loss to Cal has dulled the beliefs of many Auburn faithfuls.
In the win against Alabama A&M, Auburn's offense looked unstoppable. Payton Thorne threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone, while freshman phenom receiver Perry “Uno” Thompson recorded 82 yards and touchdowns on two receptions.
Between the offense scoring nine total touchdowns in only 13 minutes of offensive possession and the defense scoring more points than it allowed, it seemed clear that any doubters had been proven wrong; this was Auburn’s year.
That all changed on Saturday with a red-hot Auburn ready to take on a seemingly dormant Cal. Despite such a decisive victory against Alabama A&M, Auburn admittedly looked like a shadow of itself compared to the week before.
Payton Thorne, a player who had been receiving Heisman praise from many Auburn students after the Alabama-A&M matchup, threw for just 165 yards and four interceptions, including the interception that sealed the game in the late fourth quarter. Perry Thompson did not record a reception.
After an overall comedy of errors for the Auburn team, the clock hit zero, Cal with 21 points and Auburn with 14.
Auburn fans and students were quick to condemn the team and the season with many convinced this loss spelled the end for this Auburn season. Between Instagram, TikTok, and many, many other social media, the Auburn hate from inside seems stronger than ever.
Despite this, Auburn fans are urged not to give up hope just yet. Arguably the greatest college coach of all time, Nick Saban, was quoted as saying that Auburn will be “one of the most improved teams in the SEC.” Saban, the infamous six-time national champion, many of which were won at Auburn’s most famous rival, Alabama, has all the reason in the world to knock Auburn at any time, but he sees something different.
Even with this aside, history has seen worse-off Auburn teams quickly turn their seasons around after such decisive losses. Look to last year; Auburn fell to New Mexico State, won against Cal because of a missed field goal, yet fought tooth and nail with number 1 Georgia down to the very last drive.
This Auburn team is better off already than last year, led by the eighth-best recruiting class in the country, according to 247 Sports. Without a doubt, this Cal game was a wake-up call to the team, new recruits and veterans alike. This does not mean that the rest of the season will be easy, but it does mean that this team is far from finished.
The team looks to redeem itself in its next matchup at home versus New Mexico on Sept. 14.
